Elena Losina, PHD

For nearly two decades I have been dedicated to bringing rigorous research methods to bear on pressing clinical and policy questions. I enjoy working closely with clinical investigators in two spheres – rheumatology and orthopaedics. I serve as the principal investigator on several NIH-funded projects and
as the collaborating methodologist on several others. My work focuses on: application of decision analytic models to the analysis of long-term clinical and economic implications of treatment or prevention strategies; statistical analysis of data collected longitudinally or via complex hierarchical surveys; design
and conduct of non-pharmacologic clinical trials.

I am the principal investigator of a multidisciplinary team that has developed the Osteoarthritis (OA) Policy Model, a computer simulation model of prevention, natural history and treatment for knee OA. This model is supported by an RO1 from NIAMS. I am also the Analytic Core Director of a multidisciplinary, international project assessing the prognostic value of serum and imaging biomarkers in knee OA.

Studies of surgery raise especially challenging methodologic problems. I serve as the principal statistician of a NIAMS-funded multicenter RCT of the efficacy of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in persons with meniscal tear and knee osteoarthritis; principal investigator of an RCT that investigates the efficacy of a patient navigator intervention to enhance recovery following total knee replacement; and principal statistician on a multidimensional population-based study examining the association of hospital volume and outcomes of total hip and knee replacement.

I am a passionate, dedicated educator. Since 2007 I have served as a Core faculty member of EPI 208, the keystone course of the Harvard School of Public Health Program in Clinical Effectiveness. As a core faculty member I lead workshops and seminars and help students to shape research ideas into feasible
research projects. I am also a co-Director of a T32 funded training program in musculoskeletal clinical research based at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

For more than a decade I have served as Principal Investigator of the Methodology Core of the NIAMSfunded P60 Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The core provides direction and support for study design, data management, programming, statistical analysis, psychometric testing, training and education of post-doctoral fellows and other trainees.

In recent years I became interested in implementing methods of behavior economics into workplace wellness programs and to increase physical activity in persons with arthritis. I led the R21 supported pilot RCT and currently work on planning a multicenter RCT to examine the efficacy of two interventions –
financial incentives and telephonic coaching to improve physical activity post total knee replacements.

I spend about a quarter of my time providing methodological mentorship to fellows, medical and doctoral students, and junior faculty. This work is funded in part by a NIAMS K24 Mentoring award. I co-founded and co-directed a short course “Essentials of Clinical Research in Orthopaedics” for orthopaedic fellows. I lead monthly research seminars and co-direct the PRIDE (Pilot Research Incubation and Development) Program in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This innovative program creates collaborations between clinical investigators and our methodology team to move the clinicians’ research ideas toward feasible projects and publications. I also serve as a Deputy Editor for Methodology and Biostatistics for the premier orthopaedic journal, the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

The breadth of clinical and methodological topics encompassed in my research and mentoring has enabled me to translate methods and concepts across disciplines and cultures.